Wire form brassiere



Oct. 17; 1950 E. HELLER 2,526,230

WIRE FORM BRASSIERE Filed Feb. 24, 1949 INVENTOR E4 M5 El. LEE

ATTO R N EY Patented Oct. 17, 1 950 TUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application February 24, 1949, Serial No. 78,053

3 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in bust covering garments such as various types of brassieres, namely, lone line, bandeau, etc., and corselets, swim suits, halters, etc. 5

Heretofore, it has been customary to construct bust covering garments with wire forms to assist in maintaining the shape of the garments, maintaining the garment on the wearer, and to give better supporting qualities. However, in all prior constructions it was customary to construct the garments with passages formed between layers of the garments, or between the garment and tapes secured to the garments. These passages were bounded by lines of stitches and the wire forms were'engaged therein. With these constructions, the wire forms required ends so that they could be engaged into and through the passages and removed when desired. Said constructions do not permit the wire forms to have completely annular parts extending through 360 and beremoved, and therefore said wire forms were not removable in prior garments.

The dominating object of this invention is to construct a bust covering garment with a wire form, which is characterized by a wire form or stiffening frame having a pair of annular portions of 360? each for encircling the breast pockets ofthe garment in order to better confine the bust to limited positions and to provide superior support both tothe garment and to the bust to givethe wearer good lines, and yet be readily removable and replaceable. It is proposed to so construct the garment that the stifiening frame rests against the wearers body without much pressure against the body, without touching the bust, butarranged'to assist in supporting cloth flanges which engage the bust to direct the bust to a definite central position giving better support and a better appearance. These cloth flanges will find their own position on the bust without pressure. With this arrangement the garment will be exceptionally comfortable, and therefore not oppressiveto the wearer.

Another object of this invention resides in so constructing the bust covering garment that said stiffening frame with its '36 0' annular portions for encircling the breast pockets is not sewn in passages but is merely placed in open annular spaces in order that it'may easily be removed andreljin'serted inthe garment. Thus when the garment is to be laundered said stiffening frame may be removed. Moreover, one stiffening frame may be used for several garments.

. I ,Another objector this invention resides in so constructing the bust covering garment with the said stifiening frame, that the customary foam rubber bust pads maybe worn with the garment, if desired, and may be supported within the breast pockets of the garment by said cloth flanges referred to above. v a

Still further it is proposed to provide the bust covering garment with hooks at the sides of the bust, adapted to engage the annular portions of the stiffening frame for communicating pulls thereto from the garment generated when the garment is engaged about the body, in order that the pulls will be transmitted to the stiffening frame for preventing relative dislocation ofthe stiffening frame in relation to portions of the garment. V I

Still further the invention proposes that said prior mentioned cloth flanges have opensides at points adjacent each other. It is proposed that said cloth flanges be mounted upon the backs of the breast pockets of the garment and be arranged in a certain way to-form open annular spaces for removably holding said stiffening frame with the annular portions as already described. A still further object of this'invention resides in the provision and construction of'a cloth flap on the garment arranged to cover that portion of the stiifening frame which bridges the two annular breast pocket encircling portions and arranged also to cover the open sides of the cloth flanges mentioned in the previous paragraph. It may be advisable to point out that said open sides are used for the purpose of permitting the.

bridge portion of the frame to connect with the: annular portions thereof which are disposed in said annular spaces between said cloth flanges;

struction of a garment as described which .is

simple and durable and which may be man'u factured and sold at a reasonable cost.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth. In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this, disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front view of a bust covering garment, namely a brassire, constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged horizontal sectional View taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary back view of Fig. l disclosing particularly the central area of the garment in the vicinity between the breast pockets thereof.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the stiffening frame, per se, used in the garment.

The bust covering garment, in accordance with one form of this invention, includes a brassire II), or other type of garment, having a pair of breast pockets II each of which projects outwards from a base diameter I2 in the plane of the garment It. provided for each of said breast pockets I I, and have outside diameters secured to the base diameters I2 of the garment Ill with stitches I4. These annular cloth flanges I3 extend inwards of the base diameters I2 and form annular spaces I5 in the vicinity of the junctions ofsaid cloth flanges l3 and the said breast pockets II. Said cloth flanges I3 are formed with open sides I6 at points adjacent each other. A stiffening frame I! having a pair of annular portions I8 engaging in said annular spaces I5, firmly holds said base diameters I2 in formation. The stiffening frame I? is also provided with a bridge portion I9 which extends through the open sides I6 of the cloth flanges I3 and connects with the annular portions I8 for holding them in rela- 'tively fixed positions. The cloth flanges i3 have freev inside diameters so that they may be easily flexed outwards in order that said stiffening frame Il may be pulled out from and pushed back into said annular spaces I5.

Hooks 29- are mounted on said garment If!- and engage into said annular spaces I5 and hook on to the annular portions I8 of said stiffening frame IT for communicating stretching stresses in the garment to the stiffening frame I'l. More particularly, the hooks 2e extend inbetween the flanges I3 and thebreast pockets II The hooks 20 are attached to the garment Ii] withstitches 2|. The outer end portions of the hooks 2B are covered with small pieces-of cloth 22 which are secured with stitches 23 to the garment IS. The hooks 20 are located at opposite sides of the stiffening frame H.

A cloth flap 25 on the garment Iii normally covers said bridge portion I9 of the stiffening frame Ii and also covers the open sides It of said cloth flanges I3. This cloth flap 25- has side portions 26 which are attached by lines of stitches Zlto the upper edge portions of said open sides It of said clothflanges I3. The lower edges of the opensides I6 are free. The cloth flap 25 is integral with the garment Ill and is bent downwards from the central portion ica of the garment which is between said pairof breast pockets II. More particularly, the portion Illa is formed from a piece of material bent upon itself to provide a front layer 28 and a rear layer 29. Said front layer 28 extends upwards and at the top is bent downwards to form the; flap 25." The back layer ZSextends upwards and terminates at the point 39 beneath theflap 25. The sides of the central portion ma are secured by said stitches It to the adjacent sides of the cloth flanges I3 and the breast pockets Ii, see Fig.2.

The stiffening frame il comprises a single An annular cloth flange I3 is' flap 25.

4 strand of flexible material having its end portions bent into said annular portions I8 and terminating at the ends 3| adjacent the bridge portion I9. Fastening elements 32 secure the ends 3I of the single strand of the flexible material against the adjacent portions of the bridge portion I9. These fastening elements 32 comprise merely bands of material 32 wound around the adjacent portions of the stifiening frame and secured in position with cement. Preferably, the flexible material used to construct the stiffening frame I! comprises a strand of wire covered with flexible rigid type plastic material. Preferably, in cross section the material forming the stiffening frame [l is oval, or of some other flat shape so that it may easily rest against the body of a wearer.

The operation and use of the bust covering garment may be understood from the following:

The stiffening frame I! maybe removed from the garment merely by disengaging the hooks 20 from the annular portions I8 and pulling the annular portions I8 backwards so thatthe cloth flanges I3 flex and permit passage of said an nular portions. After the annular portions I8 are removed from the annular spaces I5, the stiifening frame I1 is moved downwards so as to move the bridge portion l9 out from behind the Now the garment may be laundered, or the stiffening frame Il may be used in another garment of the same type.

The stiffening frame I! may be replaced by flexing the cloth flanges I3 and reinserting the annular portions I8 into the annular spaces I5 making certain that the bridge. portion l9 e'xtends through the open sides I6 of the cloth flanges I3. The bridge portion I8 is "nowdisposed beneath the flap 25 which then covers it up. The hooks 29 are now hooked on to the sides of the annular portions I8.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to'the precise construction herein disclosed and-the right is reserved to all change and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what" I claim as new and desire to secure by United- States Letters Patent is:

1. In a bust covering garment havinga pair of substantially conically shaped breast pockets each of which has abase diameter, a fiat an nular cloth flange for each of said breast pockets,

' said cloth flanges having unsecured and therefore free inside diameters and also having out:-

side'di'arrieters secured to said base diameters;

said cloth flanges being positior'ie'din the bases" of said breast'pockets and forming annularspa'ces in the vicinity of the junctions of said cloth flanges and said breast pockets'said cloth flanges tions, said inside diam'et'ersof said 'clothj flanges;

engaging the breasts of a wearer of said garment in order to mak'e'the garment self-positioning on said wearer, and said cloth flanges being flexible 2,526,230 5 6 so that they may be easily flexed outwards in REFERENtJES CITED order that said stiffening frame may be pulled T 1 out from and pushed back into said annular g' g gg ig f are of record m the I spaces. g

2, A bust covering garment as defined in claim 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 1, including hooks mounted on said garment and Number Name Date disposed within said annular spaces and engag- 2,420,593 Gluckin May 13, 1947 ing the outer sides of the annular portions of said 2 44 7 5011061091 Aug 3, 1943' stiffening frame for communicating stretching 2,4 3 319 Schwartz Man 1, 1949 stresses in said garment topsaid stifiening framem 2,472,2 0 Bmdernn Jun 7 1949 '3. A bust covering garment as defined, in claim 1 1, including a cloth'flap on said garment and FOREIGN PATENTS normally covering said bridge portion ofsaid 1\Tumber Country 7 Date stifiening frame and the open sides of said cloth 487,971 France 1 May 21, 1918 flanges, said cloth flap being attached to the 805,277 Fran e 22,193 upper edge portions of said open sides of said r cloth flanges, and said cloth flap being also integral with said garment and bent downwards from that portion of said garment which is between said pair of breast pockets. 20

' ELIAS HELLER. 

